C ^>pare pout goob 



SPARE YOUR GOOD 

(London, T. Marshe, ? ab. 1555) 

Reprinted from the only known copy 

with an Introduction by 

E; Gordon Duff 



Cambridge 

Printed at the University Press, and 

sold by Bernard Quaritch, London, W. 

1919 






i a 



INTRODUCTION 

THE little poetical tract 'Spare your good' 
was first printed by Wynkyn de Worde, and, 
judging from the notices of the fragments 
which have been discovered, it would appear at first 
sight that he printed three distinct editions. 

The first fragment of which an account has been 
given was, in 1809, in the possession of the Revd 
James Ashley, of Binfield, Buckinghamshire, who 
communicated a description of it to Joseph Hasle- 
wood. This was passed on to Sir Samuel Egerton 
Brydges who inserted it in volume ix of the Censura 
Literaria. The account reads as follows. v Of the 
shattered remains of two leaves the first page has 
apparently the customary ribband for title which 
begins " Sy^ Beneath, a woodcut of an old man and 
a young one in the attitudes of walking, and the 
last pointing to the preceding figure, yet looking at 
an object past; probably meant to represent the 
intention of youth to follow the course of experi- 
ence. A tree between the figures, and a blank label 
over each person. The same cut appears noticed m 
Herbert, 1780, as prefixed to " the complaynt of a 

louers lyfe." ' 

A reprint of the text of the two pages is given and 
then follows the colophon which is on the upper 

3 



portion of the last page, over the printer's ordinary 
square device. 

[Her]e endeth a lytell treatyse very profytable for 
[euery] yonge man and yonge women called Syrs spare 
[your] good. Emprynted at London in the Fletestrete 
[at the] sygne of the Soone by me Wynken de Worde. 

AMEN. 

The account ends ' These fragments were pasted 
within fly leaves of an old folio volume, and are now 
in the possession of the Reverend James Ashley of 
Binfield, Buckinghamshire, from whose obliging 
communication the transcript has been made. J. H.' 

The notice of a second fragment is found in 
1867 in Hazlitt's ' Handbook to Early English Lit- 
erature,' p. 571, where after giving a note of the frag- 
ment described above he adds, ' A mutilated title to 
what appears from the similarity of orthography 
to be W. de Worde's ed. is in Selden. Art. 39. 4 to., 
bound up with a copy of ed. Kytson. It was originally 
a fly-leaf to one of Bp. Tanner's books.' 

A third fragment was mentioned by Hazlitt in 
1875 m tne introduction to Huth's 'Fugitive Poetical 
Tracts.' ' This tract, it appears, was printed at least 
thrice before it came from the press of Antony 
Kytson and portions of a copy by Wynkyn de Worde 
are given in Censura Literaria, 1st edit. vol. 9. With 
the unique copy of Kytson's edition in the Bodleian 

4 



are bound up two small fragments, each consisting 
of the title, with the text on the back of it, but in a 
mutilated state. These, however, seem to differ from 
each other, from Kytson's quarto, and from the de 
Worde, in certain minutiae, thus affording us sub- 
stantial evidence of four impressions of this work. 
Three of them, it is true, exist only in a more or less 
fractional shape ; but the testimony is sufficient.' 

In 1876 in his 'Collections and Notes' Hazlitt 
gave the following more detailed descriptions of the 
two fragments which he stated to be in the Bodleian. 

' Spare yo[ur Good.] [?W.de Worde.] 4to.,black 
letter. Two mutilated pages (including the title in 
a ribbon). Bodleian (Selden). This appears to be 
of a different impression from the large fragment 
reprinted in Censura Literana, as the title says 
nothing about Sy rs before Spare. The text of the 
poem commences on the verso of the title-leaf. The 
present bit is bound up with Kytson's edition.' 

'Spa[re your good.] 4to., black letter. Bodleian. 
This is a second fragment, being the title-leaf of a 
different impression of the poem ; it is also bound up 
with the Selden copy. Both fragments were origi- 
nally fly-leaves to one of Bishop Tanner's volumes.' 

Now it will be noticed that m 1867 Hazlitt 
spoke of one mutilated title-leaf bound up in the 
Selden volume ; m 1875 of ' two small fragments 

5 



each consisting of the title ... in a mutilated con- 
dition ' and in 1876, he describes these two more 
fully and states that both were in the Selden volume. 

In 1880 Mr Madan, then sub-librarian of the 
Bodleian, wrote the following note in the margin of 
Huth's ' Fugitive Tracts ' commenting on Hazlitts 
statement about the two fragments; 'With Kyt- 
son's edition in the Bodleian one fragment only is 
bound up : and this may possibly be a fragment of 
the same edition as that noticed in the Censura 
Literaria.' 

The title-page now in the Bodleian is the first 
of the two described in the ' Collections and Notes,' 
and a careful search has failed to trace the existence 
of the other fragment in the Bodleian. At the same 
time Hazlitts description of the second fragment 
seems to have been taken from one which he had 
actually seen, and which is perhaps preserved in 
some other library. 

Thus of the three Wynkyn de Worde frag- 
ments which have been discovered, the whereabouts 
of only one is at present known. Fortunately the 
description of the largest fragment given by Hasle- 
wood was so full that we may be certain, in spite of 
some slight inconsistencies, that the title-page in the 
Bodleian belonged to the same edition. The text 
on the reverse of the title-page is identical, with 
6 



the same misprints, as for example 'kuyght' and 
' vnderstnade ' in one line. The only difference 
throughout is that 'Syr Thomas perlore' of the 
Censura is 'syr Thomas perlore' in the Bodleian 
fragment, but the letter S being, in most hands, 
formed the same in capital and small letter such a 
mistake in a transcript could easily occur. Again 
Haslewood read the beginning of the title as ' SyJ 
but judging from the small portions of the first few 
lines of text which he was able to copy, all that could 
have remained of the title was the S and a small 
part of the p, and he, finding in the colophon the 
name of the poem 'Syrs spare your good,' con- 
cluded that the first word must have been ' Syrs.' 
The title-page has already been described, but in 
addition to the cuts of the two figures and the tree 
there is a row of oval rosettes at the foot and a row 
of type ornament down the side. 

The device, according to Haslewood, was the 
ordinary square one, used by de Worde from 1504 
to the end of his life, but which was twice replaced, 
in 151 9 and 1528 by a newly engraved block. 

When complete the tract would have consisted 
of four leaves. 

As regards the date it may probably be placed 
towards the end of de Worde's career and it is not 
unlikely that Robert Copland may have had some- 

7 



thing to do with its production. He was a French 
scholar and a writer of mediocre verse, and he made 
a number of translations for de Worde in whose 
employment he appears to have been. 

The next edition to be printed was that from 
which the present reprint is made. Two copies only 
are known and these differ in an interesting manner. 
They are in every respect identical except for the 
colophon which in one copy runs Tmprinted at 
London in Fletestrete next to Saint Donstones 
Churche by Thomas marshe' and in the other 
'Imprinted at London in Poules churche yarde by 
Anthony Kytson.' 

For some time a custom had been growing up 
of booksellers combining in the production of a 
book and each having his own name inserted in 
the colophon of a certain number of copies. Later 
other persons, who were not members of the Sta- 
tioners' Company, engaged in bookselling, and had 
books printed for them. 

Anthony Kytson was a draper who also sold 
books, and the real printer of this tract was Marshe. 
Thomas Marshe began to print, shortly before 1554, 
in partnership with John Kynge in Creed Lane, but 
in that year moved to Fleet Street and worked alone. 
He was a prominent member of the Stationers' 
Company and was Warden in 1575 and 158 1. He 
8 



printed continuously up to 1587 and issued a very 
large number of books. 

Anthony Kytson was a member of the Drapers' 
Company who occasionally had books printed for 
him. He was in business up to the year 1578 and 
the dated books with his name run from 1555 to 1576. 
Eighteen books with his name are known and these 
may be divided into three groups ; those printed for 
him which have also the real printer's name ; those 
printed for him, but which have no printer's name ; 
and lastly those said to be printed by him. It is in- 
teresting to note that in the case of books printed 
' by' him other copies of the book are known with 
the real printer's name in the colophon, showing 
that he took only part of the issue. But in the case 
of books printed ' for ' him he appears to have taken 
the whole edition. 

Besides the present book one other was issued 
jointly between him and Marshe. This was the 
Psalterium ad usum Sarum of 1555, some copies hav- 
ing Marshe's name, the others v Impressum Londini 
per Antonii Kitson.' 

The copy of ' Spare your good ' with Kytson's 
name is quite complete and perfect, and is the only 
example of the tract that has been preserved in its 
original form as a pamphlet, in place of being used 
as waste paper to line bindings. It forms part of the 

9 



wonderful volume which came to the Bodleian in 
1659 among Selden's books, and which contained 
no less than twenty-six tales and romances, mostly 
unique, all with one exception printed in the six- 
teenth century by W. de Worde, Berthelet, Copland, 
Skot, Allde, Danter and others. These appear to 
have been collected by a Thomas Newton whose 
name is found on several. Sometime in the eight- 
eenth century the volume was rebound, but in 1883, 
in order to preserve the volume from too frequent 
handling, when a reader only wished to consult one 
particular tract, it was broken up and each piece 
separately bound, the set being enclosed in a box. 
Spare your Good is the twenty-first of the set which 
contains one other piece ' by Anthony Kytson,' the 
Parlament of Byrdes. 

The copy with Marshes name, from which the 
present reprint is made, is the property of Captain 
Arthur W. Clifford, of Chestal, near Dursley, 
having originally belonged to his great-uncle Mr 
W. J. Phelps, of the same address. It has evidently 
been rescued from a binding; and the margins of 
the third and fourth leaves are cut away, a few let- 
ters being thus lost from the beginnings and ends 
of lines. 

The tract consists of four leaves (A 4 ), corre- 
sponding with the Wynkyn de Worde edition. The 



10 



second and third leaves are signed A 2, A3. On the 
title-page is a woodcut of a woman upon a bed ad- 
dressing a man and woman seated on a bench at the 
side. The cut was not made for this tract and looks 
earlier in date. On the last leaf below the colophon 
is a cut of two naked children with the name on a 
label • Gemini ' (probably made for use in an Alma- 
nack) between three border pieces. 

E. Gordon Duff. 
Oxford 
March, 1919. 



11 



NOTE 

The old spelling has been preserved, but the 
punctuation has been supplied. In the original 
many lines begin with small letters, long s is used 
except at the end of words, and various abbreviations 
occur, which have not been retained. The obvious 
misprints 'sholude' (in the last stanza but two) and 
Tarewell' (in the last stanza) have been corrected. 

The type used for this reprint is the Centaur type, 
designed by Mr Bruce Rogers, to whom the editors 
are much indebted for help in the production of the 
book. 



C ^>paw pout goo 





Uen aboute the moneth of maye, 
I wene it was the thirde daye 
Of that same moneth as I gesse, 

And so it was so haue I blesse : 

For I knowe it well by a thinge 

Of the whiche I haue had knowledgynge, 

As here after ye shall heare full well 

Of a knightes sone how it befell. 

A riche knight there was in Fraunce, I vnderstande, 

And was a man of greate lande 

And hyght syr Thomas perlore : 

A sone he had with his wyfe and no more, 

And she was called faire Ysaungrayne, 

And their son called Rafelyne : 

And of this childe ye shall heare 

And of his father and his mother dere. 

Of his father he was lefe and dere, 

So was he of his mother I you ensere. 

So it happened vpon a daye 

That this yunge man shoulde sporte and playe. 

His father bade hym go amonge wyse men 

That he might learne some good of them : 

But this yunge man him bethought 

That after his fathers counsell he wold do nought ; 

But to yll company he him drewe 

And learned all vyce and lefte vertue, 

Tyll father and mother were deade ; 

Than coulde he none other rede 

But burye them after the comune vse, 

15 



Other sorowe woulde be none vse. 

But forth he wente to his company anone 

And saide, sirs let vs be mery euerychone. 

Syr, they saide, welcome be ye truely 

And we all praye you hartely 

To syt by vs and kepe company. 

So he did and thanked them hertely : 

They called anone for meate & drincke of the beste 

For to eate and drincke as them lest; 

And whan they had eaten and dronken theyr fyll 

Syr, they saide, knowe ye nothinge of oure wyll ? 

No, by my faith, he saide incontinente, 

But by saint Thomas of kente 

I woulde haue at the hasarde a cast or two, 

For to learne to caste the dyct to and fro; 

And if here be any body that wyll for money playe 

I haue yet in my purse money and pledges gaye. 

Some be nobles, some be crownes of Fraunce : 

Haue at all who wyll of this daunce. 

One of them answered with that worde 

And caste a bale of dyce on the borde, 

And saide, maister Rafeleyne wyll ye haue a fytte ? 

Haue at all y^yc wyll sytte. 

Maister Rafeleyne drewe to his pouche 

Tyll he had loste coyne and owche; 

Than he drewe out pledges fresshe and gaye, 

Tyll all was gone and played awaye. 

Home he goeth lyke as he were out of his minde 

And solde al his goodes before and behynde; 
16 




And to harlotes he goeth and to baudes bolde, 
For he thought his money shoulde euer holde. 
To the tauerne and to the bordell he him drest, 
For al that his felowship did counsel him for the best. 
But at the laste whan all was gone 
Than he began to make his mone, 
Like as here after ye shal vnderstande : 
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande. 

C Thus endeth the prologue. 

Las my good is spente : I haue no more, 

Therfore I am troubled sore, 

With great greuaunce in my herte rote 

To spende a pounde was but a small note, 

Lyke as I was vsed to do here and there 

Therfore I must now mirth forbeare ; 

Whyche here before I did not vnderstande : 

Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande. 

What shall I now begin to do alace, 

Here before I might go in euery place 

Wyth the best where so euer they wente 

Vnto the wine, to the good ale, or to the bere al unshent. 

But for bycause gyue no more I maye 

Muste I be caste out of al game and play. 

In my greuaunce is no remedy, I vnderstand : 

Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande. 

17 



What auayleth it me to crye or to complayne then 
Whan my frendes and also my kynnesmen 
Maie neither se me nor heare me ? 
Therfore thincke I of them but lytell comforted to be. 
Thus haue I spente al my good out right 
Wyth playenge, wyth drinkynge day and night ; 
Which euery wise man wil not do, I vnderstande : 
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hand. 



Neuer I coulde perceyue this great charge 

But my luste hath brought me in this rage ; 

The whiche I begin now to vnderstand 

That money is lorde of all the lande ; 

For bycause I haue not hadde this m remembraunce, 

Therfore pouertie and miserye is fall to my chaunce, 

And am taken of no value, I vnderstande : 

Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande. 



I see that they with fingers point after me 

The whyche here before were vsed to prayse me ; 

And they let me passe by the dore 

The whiche I haue kepte good felowshippe to fore ; 

They mocke with me whiche I was wonte to truste ; 

May not I haue great repentaunce of this luste? 

Ye, and must suffre this, I vnderstande : 

Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande. 

18 



Whan I was yonge and had good at wyll 

And euery body eate and drancke with me their fyll, 

Than they did cal me in euery place ; 

Now they thincke I am not worth a lace. 

Pouertye hath taken me with greate sorow; 

I haue nothinge nor can nothinge borow ; 

Thus haue I but yll fortune, I vnderstande : 

Therefore spare your good that ye haue in hand. 



I haue thought in my minde, 

Coulde I any good get or find, 

I woulde not caste it awaye euery dele, 

Lyke as my felowshippe did my counsel. 

Whan I was vsed to beare money be my syde 

I thought not that it shoulde thus from me slyde; 

Thus was I not wyse, I vnderstande : 

Therefore spare your good that you haue in hande. 



Might I yet that daye liue 

That my frendes woulde me giue 

Some thinge where with all 

I might get richesse and honeste princypall, 

I woulde thanke them nowe and than amonge ; 

But certes my thinketh they tary to longe. 

Therfore I must suffer be it swete or soure, I understand 

Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hand. 

J 9 



Whan any body hath any richesse 

Euery body him worshippeth both more and lesse, 

But and he haue nothinge in value 

He is nothinge sette by, perdue. 

And if he come hyther or els where 

Euerie bodye fleeth from him as he the deuyll were. 

Ful often chaungeth his courage, I vnderstande : 

Therfore spare youre good that ye haue in hande. 



He that hath nothinge is taken of no value, 
And wyll not do after good counsell, perdue ; 
Lyke as of me ye maye example take, 
Howe of ryot and other games was vsed to make 
Who so euer in the worlde yf ryot me bethought 
I coulde it lyghtly helpe for to be wrought. 
Whiche is now bitter, it was than swete at that stand : 
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande. 



Wherfore sholde not I take now sorowe againe ? 

Ye, certes, there is none that wyl me any thing lene; 

Euen thus the whele of fortune renneth, 

And if good lucke dyd raine I shoulde not be wete. 

If it be good lucke or yll happe, 

It commeth to him that shall haue it at a clappe. 

Euery body maie se by me in this stande : 

Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande. 



20 



A man maye well a good felow be 

In the wine, in good ale, in bere where so it be ; 

And yf he thinke for the comune profy te also, 

Here or there where so euer he go, 

Thus may a man haunte mirth and game, 

If he do it not by measure he is to blame ; 

For in euery thmge measure is good, I vnderstand : 

Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hand. 



Farewell, I sette you al this testamente, 

Who wyll learne this shall be vnshente, 

And can kepe him amonge good company, 

Shall be fre of al sorowe and myserye. 

Who so euer taketh this testamente in remembraunce, 

Pouertye and myserye shall not fall to his chaunce. 

Hys good, his worshippe shall he kepe, I vnderstande : 

Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande. 



FINIS. 



21 



Cft tot wbrth a tpUU treaty bcty 
pwfttablz to* cur cpponge titan 
and ronge teaman cab 

IcB&^sfpate 

JfttpliMteb $t ttontow in ffic tetfrete tr^jct 

to^amt ©onftortcs&fM cctyebp 

^oawsmacriK 




Two hundred and fifty copies printed for 
Francis Jenkinson and A. T. Bartholomew 
by J. B. Peace, M. A. at the University Press, 
Cambridge. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 044 674 9 



• 



